Abel Habte HIS 323.001 Prof. Chakravartty 4/16/15 King Leopold’s Ghost Response Paper With an estimated death toll of ten million people‚ King Leopold’s conquest of the Congo is recognized as one of the bloodiest holocausts in human history. The sheer brutality of this gruesome process triggered the world’s first international human rights movement. However‚ unlike the holocaust of Jews committed by the Nazi regime in mid-twentieth century Germany‚ the Belgian extermination of the Congolese has
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to the “hypocritical arguments drawn from false premises… designed to confuse judgment” (Morel 171) of the Congo State (European colony‚ not the natives)‚ an illusionist that has transformed its horrendous‚ ignorant‚ and evil acts of imperialism into an “act of philanthropy‚ humanitarianism‚ and righteousness” (Morel 161)‚ and encourages the members of European society to “[fight the Congo State] until the diseases it has introduced into Africa and the virus with which it has temporarily saturated
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In Heart Of Darkness the isolation from civilization in the Congo causes people to lose their moral senses. This is quite prominent in Kurtz‚ but Marlow was able to restrain himself from going as far as Kurtz did. This was done by Marlow be observant of Kurtz and his own moral sense. Throughout the story Marlow is able to realize the loss of moral senses in Kurtz. This is due to the isolation Kurtz experienced while he was surrounded by the dense jungle. This led to Kurtz realizing he could do
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The Okapi Wildlife Reserve [pic] The Okapi Wildlife Reserve The Okapi Wildlife Reserve takes up about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the Northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (UNESCO Heritage Centre‚ 1992-2008). According to UNESCO Heritage Centre (1992-2008)‚ “ the Congo river basin‚ of which the reserve and forest are a part‚ is one of the largest drainage systems in Africa’’ (para. 1). The reserve contains endangered species of primates and birds and about 5‚000 of the estimated
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were there to civilize the primitives of the Congo became primal in return. The people of Europe brought out the true form‚ the true heart of darkness. The people of Europe during the time were a people based in tradition and a way of “progress”. The progress that they sought was the progress of monetary gains and what was blooded in the process. The colonials were from a stock of people who did not know the horrific events that unfolded in the Congo; they were as innocent as children. The Europeans
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meeting him in person‚ Marlow looked up to Kurtz as a leader and mentor. Kurtz‚ being a person with multiple talents‚ lots of charisma‚ and a great leader of men‚ took on that role and was the main reason why Marlow was traveling to his station in the Congo. As the novel progressed and the characters developed‚ a stark difference emerged within the characters. That difference was a sense of morality. As the novel progressed‚ and as the two men made further progress in the river and into the heart of darkness
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Leopold and the Congo Takeover In the 1800’s‚ European countries all scrambled for African territory. The first to put his foot down in the territory however would be King Leopold ll. “I do not want to miss us getting a slice of this magnificent African cake” said Leopold to a London ambassador shortly before his invasion of Africa. He made his intentions sound charitable and generous; an attempt to help Africa and stop the slave trade‚ but it was merely a guise. His arrival in the Congo would signify
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Marlow‚ tells his story about his time in the uncivilized Congo. Through his passage from the coast of Africa into the heart of the Congo by way of the Outer Station‚ Middle Station‚ and finally the Inner Station‚ Conrad explores the Freudian concept of ego‚ id‚ and superego. Although the world in Heart of Darkness initially shows two separate cultures that cannot exist harmoniously‚ through Marlow’s journey into the depths of the Congo‚ Conrad exposes the inherent sameness of all people regardless
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EUROPEAN HISTORY SECTION II Part A (Suggested writing time—45 minutes) Percent of Section II score—45 Directions: The following question is based on the accompanying Documents 1-12. The documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise. Write your answer on the lined pages of the Section II free-response booklet. This question is designed to test your ability to work with and understand historical documents. Write an essay that: • Provides an appropriate‚ explicitly stated
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1. Between 1880 and 1920‚ the population of the Congo was slashed in half: some ten million people were victims of murder‚ starvation‚ exhaustion‚ exposure‚ disease and a plummeting birth rate. Why do you think this massive carnage has remained virtually unknown in the United States and Europe? 2. Hochschild writes of Joseph Conrad that he “was so horrified by the greed and brutality among white men he saw in the Congo that his view of human nature was permanently changed.” Judging from Hochschild’s
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